Objective To evaluate the effects of celecoxib on tumor growth,COX-2 and survivin expressions and angiogenesis in nude mice. Methods Xenograft animal model was established by injecting human colon cancer HT-29 cells into the BALB/c nude mice subcutaneously. Fifty mice were randomly divided into 4 groups 16 d after injection:control group,celecoxib group(receiving 25,50,75,100 mg?kg-1?d-1 for 35 d). Tumor volumes were measured every week. The expression level of COX-2,survivin and the microvessel density (MVD) of the xenograft tumor tissues were measured by immunohistochemistry,and mRNA level of VEGF by RT-PCR. Results Celecoxib at dose of 25,50,75 and 100 mg?kg-1?d-1 inhibited the tumor volume by 34.94%,39.20%,53.50%,59.20% respectively,and showed more effective in suppressing the tumor growth than the control group(P

Objective To study the antagonistic effect of N-acetylcysteine(NAC)on the damage of hepatic mitochondria of rats induced by cadmium in vitro.Methods The mitochondria were prepared from the clean Wistar rats' whole liver by using differ ential centfifugation.The mitochondria were incubated in the assay buffer containing different concentration of CdCl_2 (10,100,1 000,10 000 ?mol/L)at 37 ℃ for 1 h.The effect of NAC(500 ?mol/L)was studied at a CdCl_2 concentration of 1 000 ?mol/L.The incubation buffer was collected and the level of GSH,cytochrome C and the activity of Mn-SOD were determined. Results Compared with the control group,the level of GSH and Mn-SOD in 100,1 000,10 000 ?mol/L CdCl_2 groups were significantly decreased,the content of cytochrome C in 1 000,10 000 ?mol/L CdCl_2 groups were significantly increased(P

Objective To assess the value of detecting sympathetic skin response (SSR) in the diagnosis of autonomic dysfunction in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Methods SSR measurement was performed in 47 PD patients and 20 healthy control subjects and the results were compared. The SSR was also comparatively analyzed between patients with and those without autonomic dysfimction. Results Compared with the healthy controls, the PD patients showed significantly lowered mean amplitude (2.56±1.47 vs 1.87±0.26, P<0.05) and prolonged latency (1.42±0.29 vs 1.55± 0.18, P<0.05) of the SSR in the upper limbs, with also lowered mean amplitude (0.76±0.39 vs 0.49±0.21, P<0.05) and prolonged latency (2.04±0.27 vs 2.13±0.16, P<0.05) in the lower limbs. Compared with the PD patients without autonomic dysfunction, those having autonomic dysfunction showed significantly lowered mean amplitude (1.89±0.33 vs 1.75±0.21, P<0.05) and prolonged latency (1.53±0.15 vs 1.56±0.17, P<0.05) of SSR in the upper limbs and lowered mean amplitude (0.51±0.17 vs 0.46±0.20,P<0.05) and prolonged latency (2.08±0.24 vs 2.17±0.18, P<0.05) in the lower limbs. Conclusion The results of SSR measurements are consistent with the clinical manifestations of the PD patients. SSR can be of value in the diagnosis of autonomic nerve dysfunction in PD.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Spearmint oil on inflammation, oxidative alteration and Nrf2 expression in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).

METHODSCOPD model was induced by intratracheal instillation of Klebsiella pneumonia and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 12 weeks in rats, and COPD rats were treated with Spearmint oil for 3 weeks. After COPD was induced, the pathological changes, changes in leucocyte number in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), MDA in lung homogenate and Nrf2 expression were observed. The effects of Spearmint oil on these changes were determined.

RESULTSpearmint oil 100 mg*kg(-1)significantly reduced leucocyte numbers in BALF, and attenuated bronchiolitis, pulmonary interstitial inflammation and inflammation cell infiltration. Spearmint oil 30-300 mg*kg(-1)decreased the destruction of pulmonary alveolus and the thickness of bronchioles walls, and inhibited goblet cell proliferation. Spearmint oil significantly reduced MDA in lung homogenate, and decreased the expression of Nrf2 protein in lung tissues.

CONCLUSIONSpearmint oil has protective effect on lung injury in COPD rats, since it improves pulmonary inflammation,oxidative alteration, and enhances Nrf2 protein expression.

Animals ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Male ; Mentha spicata ; chemistry ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; metabolism ; Oils, Volatile ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; drug therapy ; etiology ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of synthetic drug QTY06 on chronic airway inflammation and mucoprotein expression induced by intratracheal (i.t) instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

METHODSChronic airway inflammation was induced by i.t instillation of LPS in rats. Phospholipids content and the number of leucocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), pathological and immunochemical changes were examined 3 weeks after LPS instillation. The effect of QTY06 on chronic airway inflammation was observed.

RESULTAfter treatment with QTY06, phospholipids in BALF was significantly increased, and the percentages of neutrophils and lymphocytes were decreased as well as the total number of leucocytes. Compared with the model group, pathological examination showed that tracheitis, bronchitis and pulmonary interstitial inflammation in QTY06 groups were significantly attenuated; epithelial damage was alleviated, infiltration of inflammatory cells reduced and the number of goblet cells decreased. QTY06 significantly decreased MUC5ac expression in trachea and bronchiole epithelium, and reduced the optical density and mucins area (%) as detected by image analysis in rats with chronic airway inflammation.

CONCLUSIONQTY06 can reduce and inhibit the chronic airway inflammation induced by LPS in rats, and increase the content of phospholipids in pulmonary surfactant and inhibit the hypersecretion of airway mucins.

Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Bronchitis ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; chemistry ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Male ; Mucin 5AC ; secretion ; Phospholipids ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Respiratory Mucosa ; drug effects ; secretion

OBJECTIVETo observe the distribution of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in rats' respiratory tract. To study the influence of LPS and Eucalyptus globulus oil on the distribution of TMR4.

METHODThe Sprague-Dawley rats were intratracheally instilled with lipopolysaccharide (LPS,2 mg x kg(-1) per day) for two days to induce acute lung injury. The rats were sacrificed at 72 hours after LPS instillation. Lung morphology was studied. Leukocytes in Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured and TLR4 were detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTThe result of immunohistochemistry showed that TLR4 distributed widely in common rats' respiratory tract. In the group of acute lung injury, the number of leucocyte in BALF was increased apparently, the inflammation in bronchus and bronchioles was more apparently than that of the control group in morphology. And the expression of TLR4 was reinforced in main bronchus and bronchioles. In the group of E. globules oil (300 mg x kg(-1)), the leucocyte number was decreased apparently in BALF, the inflammation was lightened and the expression of TLR4 decreased as compared with the group of models.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of TLR4 distributes widely in rats' respiratory tract. The stimulation of LPS can reinforce the expression of TLR4. The E. globules oil can reduce the increase of TLR4 induced by LPS in bronchioles.

Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Bronchi ; metabolism ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; cytology ; Eucalyptus ; chemistry ; Leukocyte Count ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Lung ; pathology ; Male ; Oils, Volatile ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; metabolism

The only difference of primary structure between single-chain prourokinase (pro-UK or scu-PA) and two-chain urokinase (UK or tcu-PA) is the cleavage of a single peptide bond (Lys158-Ile159) and transform scu-PA into its active two-chain form. A 13-peptide (Thr-Leu-Arg-Pro-Arg-Phe-Lys-Ile-Ile-Gly-Gly-Glu-Cys), which spans the cleavage peptide bond, was synthesized and linked to KLH (Keyhole limpet hemocyanin). The Balb/c mice were immunized by the conjugated protein with proper adjuvant. According to the Kohler and Milstein's methods, a hybridoma cell line G7 secreting monoclonal antibody specific for scu-PA was obtained. The anti-scu-PA McAb, purified from the supernatant of porous microcarrier hybridoma cell culture, was conjugated to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B to prepare an immuno-affinity chromatography column. The u-PA was purified only by this affinity column from the supernatant of cultivating the u-PA-producing recombinant CHO cell, the u-PA recovery ratio is 90.4%, the purification factor was about 50, with the specific activity of 1.2 x 10(5) IU/mg, the scu-PA ratio in the u-PA product was 96.3%. Compared to immuno-affinity chromatography, the 3-step process for purifying u-PA (cation-exchange column, gel filtration column and benzamidine affinity column) has a u-PA recovery ratio of about 65%, with a specific activity of 1.0 x 10(5) IU/mg, and an scu-PA ratio of about 90%. These results showed that immuno-affinity chromatography is simple to recover u-PA and effective to separate scu-PA from tcu-PA.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Chromatography, Affinity ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator ; immunology ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo observe the urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA) variation in the benzene dynamic exposed rat models and benzene exposed workers, and study the feasibility of use of urinary S-PMA as the biomarker in benzene exposed.

METHODSIn an animal model study, forty-eight adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: the control group, low-dose group, middle-dose group and high-dose group. The exposed groups were dynamically exposed for 28 days (4 periods) by benzene and the concentration was monitored. The urine was immediately collected after every exposure period and detected by the liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometry methods. In a cohort study, eighty benzene exposed workers in a ship-yard in Guangzhou were selected as the exposed subjects while forty healthy officers in the same shipyard who were not occupationally exposed to benzene were treated as the control. The urine was collected after work shift. The urinary S-PMA and the benzene in the workplace was treated as the rat model.

RESULTSIn the animal model study, the urinary S-PMA increased along with the environment benzene in every period and had significantly difference in the different exposed groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), but did not change along with the exposed time course (P > 0.05). In the cohort study, the urinary S-PMA in the high-dose group [(27.2 +/- 7.9)microg/L] was significantly higher than the low-dose group [(13.6 +/- 3.4)microg/L] (P < 0.01). Otherwise, the background of urinary S-PMA was lower than 5microg/L in both workers and rat models.

CONCLUSIONThe urinary S-PMA can be proposed as a sensitive biomarker of occupational benzene exposure.

Acetylcysteine ; analogs & derivatives ; urine ; Adult ; Animals ; Benzene ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo improve the respiratory isolation policy for patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

METHODSAll consecutive patients with suspicion of having pulmonary TB when seeking health care at the County TB dispensary of the Center of Disease Control and Prevention received face to face interview.

RESULTSA Classification model was constructed with a sensitivity of 90.9% and specificity of 90.2%, while predictive factors of culture-proven pulmonary TB among smear negativecases were soakage in Chest X-ray exam (77.0% vs. 4.4%; P<0.0001), bilateral lung's abnormal (1.6% vs. 19.4%; P<0.0001) and reaction of tuberculin skin testing (0.0% vs. 2.6%; P=0.014).

CONCLUSIONSoakage, bilateral lung's abnormal and positive reaction of tuberculin skin testing were important predictors to prognosticate culture positive diagnosis. The model had been proved to have promising sensitivity and specificity in the rural population covered by NTP-DOTs.

Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Patient Isolation ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tuberculin Test ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; classification ; diagnosis ; epidemiology

This study aimed to assess the measurement uncertainty of a new method for determination of allura redin food by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).The uncertainty of mathematical model of allura red is based on Europe for Analytical Chemistry(EURACHEM) guidelines.The sources and components of uncertainty were calculated,including recovery,working solution,sample mass,final volume,response of standard solution,response of sample solution.The expanded uncertainty was 0.0024 (k=2).Uncertainty of working solution was the most significant factor contributing to the total uncertainty,accounting for 86.2％.The uncertainty of volume accounted for the minimum at 0.025％.The developed method is simple and accurate,which can be used for the determination of allura redin puffed samples.